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What the Hell is That?

THE GREEN SPOT ON A POTATO CHIP?What we thought: Mold.What it is: Chlorophyll, the stuff that makes plants green. When potatoes are exposed to light—like during harvest—they produce it in an attempt to grow.

THE RED SPOT IN THE RAW EGG?What we thought: Chick embryo.What it is: A tiny, completely harmless drop of blood released from the hen while she's creating the yolk.

THE BIG CORN FLAKE?What we thought: Big, mutant corn flake.What it is: A corn snowball. Corn flakes start out as tiny bits of ground corn, but occasionally a renegade kernel escapes the grinder. As it rolls through the flake-making process, more corn clings to it, forming a giant ball.

THE HARD CHUNK IN SAUSAGE?What we thought: A tiny chip of bone.What it is: Sometimes it is a chip, bit more often it's a bit of tough connective tissue—a ligament or tendon—that toughens as the meat cooks.

THE RAINBOW ON HAM?What we thought: Oil SlickWhat it is: Light reflecting off a very thin layer of fat on the surface of the ham slice.

THE RED BLOTCHES IN A CHICKEN LEG OR THIGH?What we thought: A blood clot.What it is: Yes, a clot! Red blood cells at the core of the bone sometimes leech into the surrounding meat, where they can't be cooked away.